Like Oil & Water | Para
Tagging: Alex & Scott Summers Location: The X Institute Stables; Bedford Hills, NY Time Frame: Evening, Dec. 11, 2014 General Notes: A little insight on Alex & Scott’s relationship.
Alex had been outside for most of the evening, his leather jacket zipped up tight and his boots snug on his feet. The weather was just reaching unbearable temperatures and the wind that whipped around him and the horse was biting. He loved the feeling too much, though, to actually give up on riding. His mind was cleared in a way that couldn't be replicated anywhere else. He'd already chosen his favorite mare in the few days he'd been at the mansion and she seemed to like him just fine, neighing and nuzzling him appreciatively when he brushed her. He wished he could have his own horse back, but he knew the odds of that happening were next to impossible. He'd just decided to tuck in for the night when he heard an all too familiar voice bark his name from the perimeter of the riding range. Groaning a bit, Alex decided to stay on the mare in a simple act of defiance, waiting patiently for Scott to reach him. "What do you want?" he snapped coldly as his brother came into view.
Scott watched his brother steady the horse he’d been riding. I hadn’t escaped his notice that he had to close the distance between them as he neared the stables. With his entire face having gone rigid, he glowered up at the younger Summers and maintained the firmness in his own voice, “You already know why I’m out here. Get off the horse and put her back inside.” His index finger extended toward the stables’ wooden exterior panels as he responded to his brother. “The horses aren’t even supposed to beridden this time of year—nevermind the fact you’re underage. The ground’s too muddy and dangerous for them, making it dangerous for you and your peers to be on them.”
Alex rolled his eyes as he purposely walked the horse a few steps away from his brother, blatantly ignoring his orders. "In case you didn't get the memo, brother, I was adopted by a family that owned horses. I know what I'm doing, believe it or not. I've avoided the mud and we're perfectly fine."
Scott “I don’t care that you know what you’re doing, Alex,” he snapped back, curling his index finger into his forming fist that was now dropping slow to his side. “You’re not with your adopted family now—you’re here and you need to follow the rules set in place or you’ll keep on getting into trouble. Keep that up and you’ll get kicked out and sent back to juvi. Is that what you want?” Scott knew his own answer to that question—having his brother nearby was always better than any alternatives, but the thought of his brother being in any kind of correctional facility struck a nerve with Scott that kept him privately unsettled.
Alex shook his head, completely ignoring his brother's question as he slid off the mare and walked her back into the stable. "I'm used to being in trouble, so your threats don't bother me. At least I could be left alone in juvi," he muttered, slamming into Scott's shoulder as he passed him. Once back into the stalls, Alex poured water for the mare and started to brush her carefully in an attempt to forget the other Summers male was there.
Scott Although Alex couldn’t see it, Scott had rolled his eyes, “It’s not about threatening you or stupid scare tactics. It’s about a matter of fact—” He abruptly stopped when his brother intentionally jostled him with his shoulder. Scott turned and clenched his jaw; after a few seconds of taking some deep breaths, he also went inside but lingered near the wide entry door while staring down his brother. “So that’s what you want? To be left alone?” His tone wasn’t soft, but it hadn’t held the same edge as before either.
Alex "Why do you think I come out here, Scott?" Alex snapped, glaring up at his brother as he sat down on a bucket to clean out the horse's shoes. "Because horseback riding is my one true calling? Fuck that. I come out here to be alone. It's peaceful and I feel more at home when I'm on the back of a horse than I will ever feel in that place." He shook his head, muttering under his breath to himself as he picked the dried dirt from the mare's hooves.
Scott kept his jaw locked but continued to bear a hard stare at his younger brother. “At least the option’s afforded to you here. Last time I checked they didn’t have horses for inmates to ride.” His eyes narrowed as his fists tightened at his sides as he turned to leave, but he pivoted back to add, “You know, you act like being here’s your right and it’s not. It’s a privilege, and your choice to abuse because ‘you’re used to being in trouble’ just means it won’t last long. Take it as a threat if that’s how you choose to see it. Your choice to defend your own insubordination makes no sense whatsoever, especially since you just said that getting to ride makes you feel at home. You want that feeling by getting on these horses? Great. Try at least asking one of us next time you wanna come out here to ride. It wouldn’t kill you.” With that, the elder of the Summers siblings turned his back and headed out, yanking the stable door shut, hard on his way. His brother cleaning the horse’s shoes told him that he was likely done riding for the night. And while felt the wedge between him and his brother only grow deeper, Scott believed he was right in telling his brother all he’d said, even if it upset him or wasn’t of interest for his younger sibling to hear. Once inside the warmth of the mansion, he felt how flush his body had become. He pulled the zipper back down on his jacket and shut his eyes, allowing himself to pull his glasses off and scrub his calloused fingers across his eyes. Once the custom glasses were back over his eyes, he stared up at the ceiling, taking a few more deep breaths, and then headed to the nearest staircase for Pembroke Hall.
Alex rolled his eyes once more as Scott continued to scold him, his jaw clenching at the privilege comment. He waited for his brother to finish, giving no indication that he was listening at all. When the stable door slammed closed, Alex's body relaxed completely and he finished tending to the mare. He pet her face for a while, murmuring soft words to her before bidding the horse goodnight and heading back up to the mansion. When he walked inside, he found Scott heading up to bed. Shoving past him once more, making sure the slam hurt this time, he continued up the stairs. He stopped briefly at the top to turn and look down at Scott. "It's not a privelege to be here, Scott," he said darkly. "You took me out of isolation. You dragged me across the country. You stuck me here. This is who I am. If you don't want to deal with it, send me back. It's that simple. I didn't ask you to save me." He turned on his heel and stomped down the hall, slamming his bedroom door when he came to it.